The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) Steering Committee strongly condemns the entry into force of Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA law) on May 31, 2025. This repressive law is a further escalation in the ruling Georgian Dream party’s campaign to suppress dissent, intimidate civil society, and silence independent media.
The Georgian authorities continue weaponising legislation by compelling civil society organisations, media outlets, and even individuals to register as “foreign agents” if they receive international funding and engage in vaguely defined “political activity”. The law’s punitive provisions, including prison sentences of up to five years, contradict Georgia’s constitutional commitment to European integration and violate core democratic values.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum stands in full solidarity with Georgian civil society, journalists, and citizens who continue to resist authoritarian backsliding and fight for a European future, and calls on:
The Georgian authorities:
- To immediately repeal the FARA law and end the weaponisation of legislation against democratic actors;
The European Union and its Member States:
- To intensify political, diplomatic, and financial support for Georgian civil society and to hold accountable those responsible for democratic backsliding;
- To step up their commitment to unanimously agree on targeted sanctions against Georgian politicians, judges and prosecutors, especially those involved in targeting civil society, beyond visa suspension mechanism;
The international community and donors:
- To redirect support away from state institutions complicit in repression, and to stand firmly with independent voices in Georgia.
The EaP CSF will continue to support all those in Georgia who are defending human rights, freedom of expression, and the rule of law, the foundation of Georgia’s rightful place in the European family.
The Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
